Tube cleaning device



July 4, 1939.- G. AMMENDOLA TUBE CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 19s! Qz'useppe Amm enZoZa Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 3, 1937, Serial No. 157,214 In Italy September 25, 1936 4 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus, devices or machines for scraping incrustations from the outer surfaces of boiler flue-tubes, and it particularly has for its object to provide such a machine which will be simple in construction and efl'ective in operation, and which can be manufactured at low cost.

In the drawing, Figs. 1 and 1 are diagrammatic views showing a plurality of boiler tubes and the methods of applying the invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the appa atus, the roller drive being turned to a position 90 from the operating position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the apparatus.

km the line 3-3 of The machine or apparatus comprising the present invention comprises a frame consisting of a bar I and a bracket 2 having a' foot 3 that parradially of the shaft 5 and the pin and hole connections with the shaft are such that these blades and wings may move radially, as well as axially of the shaft 5. The wings also have projections I3 which enter recesses I2 in the bars 8 that are pinned or otherwise secured to the shaft 5 to turn with the same. The recesses are made sufliciently large to give the projections the required freedom of motion in a radial, as well as in an axial direction.

The bars or arms 8 have tapered recesses 9 for the springs II which keep the blades III floating between the arms 8 and continuously tend to keep them in their position adjacent shaft 5. The blades can move in the direction of the arrows J in Fig. 2.

'Sw'ivelly mounted at either end of the bar I is a shaft I8 carrying beneath the bar I, a nut 20 and a spring I9, and above the bar being provided with a head I5 and a cross pin 22 to seat in notches 2| when the machine is working. Handles 24 are connected at nwiththe heads I5 and are used to push and pull the machine along the tubes.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have diagrammatically shown the embodiment of the invention using blades with semi-circular scraping edges, while in Fig. 1

are shown four blades, each with a 90 cutting edge. The apparatus vof Fig. 2 can easily be designed to use quarter-cutting or scraping sur-' face blades 25 (see Fig. 1) instead of half-cutting or scraping surface blades, but as such modification is well within the skill of an artizan and involves only changes in design (form and proportions of parts). further disclosure is thought unnecessary.

In operation the arms I6 are set crosswise of bar I (see Fig. l) with the rollers I'I riding on a pair of tubes 26 and the shaft 5 is rotated. Centrifugal force will move the blades III radially outward within the limits of the recesses I2 so as to strike the tubes 26 with sumcient force to dislodge scale, while the rotational force will cause the blades also to effect a scraping action on the tubes. The floating character of the blades will allow them to rise and fall as may be necessary to accommodate them to the irregularities of the tubes.

The shaft 5, instead of being driven by a motor, may be turned by hand, in which case suitable coil springs (not shown) would be placed on the pins 1 in the recesses II to force the blades outwardly from the shaft and thereby aid the centrifugal force.

-I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, but modifications within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable boiler-tube scraping apparatus, a narrow carriage designed to be movable along between two rows of tubes and including a longitudinal bar and a bracket arm carrying heads mounted at the ends of said bar, and each including a cross arm with rollers to ride on the tubes, and a rotary tube cleaner journalled in bearings in said bar and bracket, said cleaner comprising a rotatable shaft, scraper blades mounted on said shaft for limited movement radially and longitudinally thereof.

' 2. In a portable boiler-tube scraping apparatus, a narrow carriage designed to be movable along between two, rows of tubes and including a longitudinal bar and a bracket arm carrying heads mounted at the ends of said bar, and each including a cross arm with rollers to ride on the tubes, and a rotary tube cleaner journalled in hearings in. said bar and bracket, said cleaner comprising a rotatable shaft and scraper blades resiliently mounted on said shaft for limited movement radially and longitudinally thereof.

8. In a portable boiler-tube scraping apparatus, a narrow carriase designed to be movable along between two rows of tubes and including a longitudinal bar and a. bracket. arm carrying heads mounted at the ends of said bar, and each including a cross arm with rollers to ride on the tubes, and a rotary tube cleaner Joni-nailed in bearings in said bar and bracket, said cleaner comprising a rotatable shaft and scraper blades mounted on said shaft tor limited movement radially and longitudinally thereof. said shalt having crossplns and said blades havlns recesses to receive said pins. 4. Apparatus of the character described, comprlsins. a carriage frame, a rotatable shaft Journaiiedinbearinzsin saldtrame, upper and lower bars carried bv said shaft and having spring-rev .7 are floatinely held to turn with said shaft, means to limit the outward radial movement of said blades under centrifugal force, andmeans to.sup-

port said iramefrom, and between adjacent rows oi boiler tubes. said blades having curved surfaces to conform approximately to the boiler tube GIUSEPPE AMMEN'DOLA. l6 

